The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-07-17
AMERICANS IN EUROPE.

some
Offers to Lovers Of the Beautiful.
Special to the indianapolis journal
WASHINGTON, July LOT am surprised at
the desire Of Americans to rush across theocean
for scenery and antiquity, when we have so
much Of both on this continent" The speaker
was a gentleman who has spent forty years Of
his life in explorations within the limits Of the
North American continent. He continued:
Few people know that there were free schools
in the City Of Mexico before Columbus dis
covered America. Yet such is the fact. There
are many things to be seen In the land to the
south of US which show that the Aztecs and the
Montezumas were highly civilized people. and
that they were not only versed In many Of the
arts and sciences OF the present day. but that
they were far in advance OF us in many things
10 which we think ourselves great A
recent publication Of the Smithsonian
Institution shows that oven the Chi
rioui Indians Of the Isthmus Of Darien
were versed in the science of metallurgy, and
that even these people understood the art OF
gold beating. and were skilled in some degree in
gold plating. Yet they are looked upon as a
prehistoric people, and what knowledge we have
of them is CLEANED principally from the graves
Of their dead. Mexico abounds in attractions for
the searcher after the antique. Nor il it neces-
say to go to the land Of the greasersfor antioui-
ties. One can find all that he desires to in
the States and Territories of the Southwest AS
for scenery, there 10 nothing in all the old world
to compare with what the United States has to
Offer Not one man in ten Of those who will visit
Europe this year has ever looked upon the
grandeur Of Niagara Falls Not one in fifty has
seen the Yellowstone or the Yosemite. The pro-
wonders Of the Sierra Madre is ina
Of all is the dense ignorance Of the local
attractions about them which characterizes
nine-tenths of our citizens who visit Europe an
nuaily.-. visited New York recently to bid
farewell to q party of friends who were about to
sail for Europe. They were all residents OF New
York and Pennsylvania, set they had never seen
any more of this country than that section be-
tween Boston and Washington. Their idea OF
the beauties of American scenery was confined
to that which they had been able to look at
while on flying trips TO Saratoga Bar Haroor.
Europe the Alps and the Rhine. Thou
sands make similar trips every year. Yet the
scenery Of the mountains OF Pennsyivanla Is IN
comparably superior to any that the European
continent can offer. There 10, to my mind, moth
ING so attractive to the true American as the
mountain scenery along the Susauehanna aud
Lehigh rivers. A week spent in exDior-
ing the attractions along the Lehigh
Valley railway would astonish many of
our migrating citizens. One need not
put up at the hotels which have been constructed
for the use of visitors. but all along that, any
of the Pennsylvania roads, the tourist can find
an attractive stopping place will guarantee
that III SONS of travellers would defer their
visit to Europe until they had looked upon what
America has TO offer in the way OF scenery
even within days travel from New York-they
would hesitate some time before Drawing the dis
comforts of an ocean trip simply for the purpose
of seeing something new. One Of The worst
features of these continental tours il that the
young people in every family soon learn to be-
lleva that America has nothing to show them,
and they not satisfied until they can arrange
TO make annual trips abroad By this means